The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were expected to take a step back in 2023 after the second retirement of Tom Brady. The Bucs responded by finishing 9-8 atop the NFC South. They then upset the Philadelphia Eagles in the Wild Card round of the playoffs. Tampa Bay has a lot of momentum but has some big-name free agents, including veteran wide receiver Mike Evans and quarterback Baker Mayfield.
Evans was drafted with the seventh overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft by Tampa Bay. He has made history due to the fact that he has picked up at least 1,000 yards receiving in each of his 10 seasons. His streak almost ended in 2017, but he was credited with 1,001 yards that year and then 1,006 yards in 2020.
Evans was the best pass-catcher for Tampa Bay last season, bringing in 79 of his 136 targets for 1,255 yards and 13 touchdowns. He barely edged out teammate Chris Godwin, who had 1,024 yards but only two touchdowns. Godwin was at the focal point of contract talks for a few seasons between back-to-back franchise tags. He was then signed to a 3-year, $60 million deal extension in 2022. Now, it is time for Evans to have another payday.
Tampa Bay could look at tagging the wideout, but that would likely run them $20.714 million for the season. The 30-year-old is likely looking for a two or three-year deal, depending on how the salary shapes up. Lucky for the Buccaneers, they have the best odds at DraftKings Sportsbook as the team that Evans takes his first snap for in 2024, suggesting that a deal is currently expected to happen.
Mike Evans next team odds
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Team | Odds |
| TB Buccaneers | -165 |
| CHI Bears | +650 |
| HOU Texans | +800 |
| NE Patriots | +1200 |
| KC Chiefs | +1400 |
| ATL Falcons | +1400 |
| ARI Cardinals | +1600 |
| CAR Panthers | +2000 |
| IND Colts | +2500 |
| WAS Commanders | +3500 |
| TEN Titans | +3500 |
| PHI Eagles | +3500 |
| NY Jets | +3500 |
| NY Giants | +3500 |
| DET Lions | +3500 |
| DAL Cowboys | +3500 |
| BAL Ravens | +3500 |
| PIT Steelers | +5000 |
| LV Raiders | +5000 |
| JAX Jaguars | +5000 |
| GB Packers | +5000 |
| CIN Bengals | +5000 |
| SF 49ers | +10000 |
| SEA Seahawks | +10000 |
| NO Saints | +10000 |
| MIN Vikings | +10000 |
| MIA Dolphins | +10000 |
| LA Rams | +10000 |
| LA Chargers | +10000 |
| DEN Broncos | +10000 |
| CLE Browns | +10000 |
| BUF Bills | +10000 |
It is interesting to see that the Chicago Bears are the team with the second-best odds to roster Evans. The Bears are set with wide receiver DJ Moore as their WR1, but adding Evans would give them one of the best receiving dups in the league. Chicago already has plenty to think about this offseason as they debate retaining quarterback Justin Fields or trading him and then using the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft to bring in their franchise quarterback of the future. Resetting the contract clock by shipping Fields could help free up some future cap space needed to bring in Evans.
The Houston Texans would be an intriguing option. Evans was born in Galveston, Texas, so the move to the Texans at least gets him closer to home. He played collegiately at Texas A&M, and while that was more than a decade ago, it would make sense that he may want to have that homecoming. Pair that with the fact his quarterback would be the reigning Rookie of the Year, C.J. Stroud, and Evans could be the piece that completes the quick Houston rebuild.
The New England Patriots are in desperate need of wide receiver help. Unfortunately, they also need a quarterback, and I don’t think that Evans would sign there. The AFC East is going to be a tough division, and Evans and a rookie QB or Mac Jones don’t automatically make the Patriots contenders. The Kansas City Chiefs have the fifth-best odds to get Evans, and if that happens, we may want to go ahead and ink them in as Super Bowl winners every year that he and Mahomes would play together.
